State Highway 5 will be down to one lane between Te Haroto and Tarawera from tomorrow due to a large dropout alongside the southbound lane.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency contractors have been closely monitoring the dropout on State Highway 5 between Te Haroto and Tarawera since the March/April weather events, which saw further damage to the dropout.
Hawke’s Bay System Manager Martin Colditz says on the advice of a geotechnical engineer the decision has been made to close one lane to move traffic further away from the slip face.
“This will allow contractors to continue work to manage stormwater through the area safely and avoid the risk of traffic causing any further damage to the road while we identify the best course of action, next steps and timeframes for repair.”
Geotechnical engineers will be onsite late next week, after which we expect to be able to provide an update to the public.
In the meantime, the site will remain under traffic light control with a 50km/h temporary speed limit in place. There will also be restrictions for oversized loads, please contact your traffic management coordinator for further details.
“Please slow down, take extra care and be patient,” Mr Colditz says.
Waka Kotahi thanks everyone for their patience while we take steps to ensure the safety and long-term resilience of this section of SH5.
